Foldable wicket for dams



Q M A D .UR 0 BF T SF. SK l K CH L AB WA D APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21.1921- Famed Jan. 31,1922.

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WILmAM r. KAssEBAUM,

a Application'filed June 21,

T0 all whom it may concern: v 1.

. Be it known-that I, WILLIAM F. KAssE BAUM, acitizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Hebron, in the county of Thayer and State ofNebraska, have invented a new and Improved Foldable Wicket ,for Dams, ofwhich the following is a specification.

- This invention relates generally to improvements in wicket damstructures and more specifically has referenceto an improved fold'ablebracket or wicket, and primarily my invention has forits purpose toprovide an improved dam structure ofthe general character stated of arelatively in-, expensive nature and which is especially designedforbeing used on the top of cement or other forms of water dams so as toprovide for adjusting the dam of vwater, and for collapsing all of thebrackets that constitute a part of a dam section. or gate to drop onto,the dam top to allow the free escape'of surplus water:

Another object of 'nvention is to provide a simple and easily actuatedmeans for releasing all of the wicket or bracket members connected witha gate or damsection, in unisom and ,for 'dropping flatwise along.v thetop and inneredge of the dam wall, out of the way along such wall top,and in which the bracket members areso formed that when the dam or gatesection is swung up the brackets automatically open out and lockthemselves to their extended position so as to hold thenbracket or gateat the proper place; f i 1 With other minor .objectsfin view, that will'hereinafter be apparent, my invention comprises a fol'dable bracketorwicket for damsections that embodies the peculiar) features ofconstruction and arrangement of parts, fully set out in the followingdetailed description, specifically mentioned in the appended claims andillustrated in the accompanyingdrawings in which: I

Figure l is a perspective view of a dam wicket section with my improvedfoldable wicket or bracket i members,vthe .same being shown asoperatively mounted on the top of the dam wall. i p e r j Figure 2 isasimilar view and it illustrates the gate section dropped and the gatebrackets ,to the folded or collapsed adjustments' p Figure 3 is avertical cross section taken FOLDAIBLE WICKEEI. FOR DAMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

such brackets, set about fourffeetiapa'rt, are

right 2 to drop inwardly .upon the said base The several brackets .foreach gate. or.

or I-IEZBRON, NEBRASKA.

Patented Jan. 31,1922. 1921. Serial 110,479,412. j'

subistantially on the line 3- 3. "O Figure 1, an a Figure/t is aperspectiveview ofone of my improved brackets detached from the gate orwicket wall.

In the practical development ,ofmy invention, my improved bracketisvmade out of strips of strap metal, preferably-steel, I about twoinches wide and about one-half z inch'thick, and: in practice, four orfive of attached to each wicket or gatese'ctiom-the several brackets foreachgate'se'ction being-- adapted for collapsing orffolding down at Eachbracketincludeawhat is hereinafter termed a base member l, and anupright member 2 whose lower-end is connected-to the outerend of thebase member 1, by-a hinge 3 that is designed to permit the upmember 1when the gate lisj lowered, as is to I ,v v c v.35 ofthe base in'ember10f the brackets, with their attached gate secs tion from pulling overtoward the stream,

such movement of thebr'a'ckets and the'gate being further resisted bythe anchormg .bolts l4 that, pass throughthe basemembers '1. and areembedded in lthe concrete dam wall asis clearly shown in Figure ,2.

wicket section 51 are fixedly attached to the back of the said wicket'orgatesection'by bolts 6 I 6 that pass through; the uprights'2 of thebracket and the gate section 5 that s y r member 7 has an inwardly anddownwardly inclinedfiat extension 770, such extension constituting theupper connection for a col,- lapsible brace 8, the construction of thebrace 8 being best shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, byreference to which it will be seen, the said brace 8 comprises an uppersection 80 and a lower section 81, the

upper section being composed of two strips,

fiatwise arranged and connected by a stud.

pivot 9 to the extension 70 oi the hinge member 7.

The lower section 81 is a single flat strip whose lower end restsfiatwise upon the angled portion 10 of the base member 1 and it isswivelly connected thereto, (to swing laterally with respect to saidmembers 1 and 2) by a staple 91 that projects from the portion andthrough an aperture 81, in the lower end of 'thesection 81 as shown.

I he uooer or free end of the brace section I 81 exen'ds between twofiat strips that constitute the upper brace sect1on-80 and about midwaythe length of the brace 8 the lower section 81 islpivotally oined to theupper section strips'j'by a stud nut 12 and at its extreme upper end thebrace member 81 has an outwardly pro ected flange 82 that constrtutes" astop for limiting the lateral swing or" the brace members 80 and 81,when. the

gate seetion, with the uprights 2 of the bracket are swung up to thevertical POS'lition; "The two brace sections 80 and 81,

when the gate section is dropped in the manner presently explained,collapse by bending laterally with respect to members 1 and 2 asindicated by the arrow a on Figure 2 and when the is'lifted to itsupright position the said brace sections 80 and 81 move laterally in theopposite direction, see arrow Z), until they reach their fully extendedalignment, to which adjustment they are limited by the stop flange 82.The two sections 80 and 81, as they reach their extended position becomeautomatically locked and are held from being collapsed until a force isapplied, suflicient to pull the brace members laterally in theirflatwise condition.

y To provide for conveniently collapsing the bracemembers .8 of all ofthe brackets on a gatcseetion to be lowered, each flange portion 82 ofthe lower-brace sections 81 is pro- 8 vidcd with an eye 83, and to thesaid eyes o 5 tllOjlGllGS o1 brackets a. rod or cable .13 is swivelly atarched, the connection being such that a pull on the rod or cal'ilc 13in the direct on oi the arrow 0 swings'all oi the brace sections to acollapsing position and in so doing the uprights 2 of the brackets, withthenattached gate sections, are caused-to swing backwardly to close downover the required to stamp or shape up the'bracket sections as they-maybe easily shaped up by any skilled blacksmith. The cost of making thebrackets and their upkeep, when operatively assembled, is sosma'll that,their use is especially desirable 'at places where gates or wickets areurgently needed to hold back the water when rapidly rising during floodsand the like. I

What I claim is: r

1; A'wicket for dams comprising a base member adapted for being fixedlyattached crosswise of the dam wall top, a gate hingedly connected tothe'base member to drop back onto suchmember and a prop connectedto thegate and the base member, the said prop consisting of an upper sectionjoined to the upper edge of the gate for Vertical and lateral movementwith respect to the gate, and a lower section, the said lower sectionbeing swivelly connected to the base member for vertical and lateralmovement with respect to the said base mem-- her, operative connectionspivotallyjoining the said prop sections to one another to swing,laterally, the connections for the prop sections being such whereby tocause them to fold flatwise onto the dam .wall top as the prop iscollapsed when the gate drops,- and extend the prop sections as the gateis lifted. p

2. A wicket for dams comprising a base member adapted for being fixedlyattached crosswise ofthe dam wall top, agate hinged to the base memberto. drop back onto such member and a prop connectedto the gate and thebase member, the saidprop consisting of an upper section oined'to theupper edge of the gate for vertical. and lateral movement with respectto the gate, and a lower section, the said lower-section being swivellyconnected to the base member for v vertical and lateral movement withrespect I to the said base member, the said two prop sections beingpivotally connected to one another to swing laterally, the connection ofthe prop sectionsbeing 'such whereby the 12 prop will fold fiatwise ontothe dam wall top when it collapses when the gate drops, and to assumeitsextended or prop adjustment as the gate is lifted, one of the propsections having a laterally projected flange 1 2 that constitutes a stopto limitthe extended adjustment ofthe two prop sections.

3. A wicket for dams comprising a base member adapted for being fixedlyattached crosswise of the darn Wall top, a gate hingedly connected tothe base member to drop back onto such member and a prop con.- nected tothe gate and the base member,

the said prop consisting of an upper sectionconnected to one another toswing laterally,

the connections for the prop being such whereby the prop sections willfold fiatwise onto the dam wall top as the gate drops, and to assume theextended or prop adjustment as the gate is lifted, one of the propsections having'a laterally projected flange that. constitutes a stop tolimit the extended adjustment of the two prop sections, and meansconnected to the'said flange portion for pulling the two sections tocollapse them, to thereby permit the gate to drop with the collapsedprop sections onto the dam wall top.

4:. In a dam wicket of the character de scribed, the combination withthe wicket or gate section and the dam wall; of a plurality propconsisting of: a base or sill member of spaced props for the gate orwicket, each 7 adaptedfor'being rigidly. mounted cross-'- wise of thedamwalltop and upright means I for securing the upright to the'back ofthe wicket or gate, a hinge joint thatconnects V i i the lower end ofthe" upright to the outer 'end of the base member to thereby provide fordropping the gate member back onto the baseor sill, a brace portioncomprising an upper and lower section, the two sections being pivotallyjoined for swinging laterally in the same directions with respect to thegate and the base member, the lower section being swivelly connected tothe inner end of the base'member, theupper section being. likewiseconnected to the upper end of the gate and a flexible pull connectionthat oins with one section of all ofthe props whereby' to collapseall ofthe said props atthe same time to permit the gate to drop back and causethe prop sections; to

fall fiatwiseon the wall top, the saidprop V sections, automaticallyresuming their extended or prop adjustments as the gate is lifted in theusual way.

WILLIAM- F. KAssEB UM'

